Get into the act quick or fade away

The recent PCB leaks when compared to the Panama leaks revelations of off-shore accounts of the rich and powerful could only be termed as a droplet. But at times even a drop can also turn into a storm. That is exactly what has happened after Pakistan’s disappointing display in the Asia Cup and later in the World T20.

The captain, Shahid Afridi, had to bow out admitting incompetence as a leader, the coach Waqar Younis had to leave in a rage after his report was leaked, surrendering even his salary of few months, the selectors also were shown the door and rightly so for being inconsistent and clueless and a new captain for T20 Sarfraz Ahmed has been handed the reins.

That to me does not appear to be the end and it seems as if there is plenty more in store to follow prior to Pakistan team’s important tour to England after a couple of months.

Uncertainties result in insecurity and suspicion and in a situation such as we are faced with, now it is important that proper and workable decisions are made to run an organisation like the PCB on a professional line.

We are now left with a little scope to commit blunders and behave injudiciously to be the laughing stock of the world as we have become in a sport which ought to have been well looked after. Unfortunately, we had lacked in that through discriminatory behaviour, likes and dislikes of individuals and through unprofessional approach at every level.

The lull that we experience now is indeed an indication of a storm that is already building up which may possibly bring in new faces at all level including at the helm. Having had two tenures as the chairman of the board, Shaharyar Khan certainly has had a good feel of it and lately even offered to resign but was told by the patron, the prime minister to hold on for a while.

His presence, when he first was given the responsibility, and now in the last couple of years again has been quite eventful depending on how one takes it. I am sure he himself must have been utterly embarrassed the way his charges performed recently and the scathing criticism that he and his colleagues in the governing board had to endure as a result.

No disgrace really; in sports you win some and lose some, but it is the manner of victory or defeat that really dictates the fans and critics to react. The situation that we are in now demands patience and clinical incisions to remedy the amount of ills that have crept in, affecting the performance of the team in the limited over games.

The task of hiring a coach has already been handed over to the two experienced cricketers like Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja. They have now got to make sure that whatever decision they take to engage a foreigner or a local cricketer has got to be a mentor like individual rather than one who remains restricted to basics of batting, bowling and fielding.

At international level one does not really need coaching that is given to young aspiring teenagers. It is the mindset and approach to take up the challenge that matters and that really is the essence of coaching at that level.

Candidates, I notice, are already lining up for every position and there are many around to have. It is also noticeable that the birds of prey have started to hang around lobbying to take charge and there are vultures hovering above to swoop on the carcass and fly away with pickings.

Names are being mentioned. I suppose the tried and tested need to be looked at carefully before re-engaging, be it a selector, coach, manager or for that matter a new chairman.

A new chairman has got be a figure head of the organization with decision making power only in matter of disputes within the organization rather than interfering in selection matters.

Names are being mentioned and put forward, the most prominent being that of Majid Khan and the present ICC president Zaheer Abbas. Both great batsmen of their time and disciplined individuals have the credentials to take up the mantle. But it will be the choice of the patron that will matter in the end. Zaheer’s commitments as president of ICC ends in June and I will not be surprised if he is handed over the reign.

I personally feel for other openings there surely are places to grab for various positions. I will not hesitate bringing back former captain Moin Khan in a managerial or selectors capacity. He was wronged during the last World Cup and was shoved away because the legislators objected his presence in a casino. There was nothing sinister about it. He shouldn’t have been seen there though. It certainly passed on the wrong signals.

Not only that but the individuals making up the governing board has got to be thoroughly scrutinised of their ability when decision making.

We need to understand that every individual in love with this game has the good of the game at heart, no matter who takes over and who is responsible to run it. Foremost no doubt is the health of the game rather than the ego of certain individuals who have so far taken us to where we are.